Freelance change order.

A one-page change request for independent designers, developers, and consultants. Use it when the client says “can you also…” on a job that already has a price.

What a freelance change order is

A short record of the extra. What was in scope. What they asked for. What it costs. What it does to the timeline. A line that work starts after written approval. A place for them to sign.

It is a business document, not legal advice. For most fixed-price or loosely scoped work, this is enough.

When to send one

The job was priced. The new ask was not.
You would not have taken the original fee if this had been included.
You need a paper trail before you open the file again.

Send it the same day as the Slack. Attach it to the email, or send the email first and the PDF when they say yes.

Plain-text version

CHANGE REQUEST

Date: [Today]
From: [Your name / studio]
To: [Client]
Project: [Project name]

Original scope
[What you already agreed to do]

Requested change
[The extra ask, in their words if you can]

Commercials
Fee: [Flat fee, or hours at your rate]
Timeline impact: [No change / +X days]
Original contract: [Optional]
New project total: [Optional]

Work on this change begins only after written approval.

Client approval: ___________________________
Your name: [Your name]

Why a PDF beats a thread

Slack is where the ask happens. It is a bad place to store the yes. A one-page change request gives them something to forward, sign, or drop in the shared drive. You look like a shop.

Generate the one-pager.

Paste the extra. Pick hourly or flat. Download a letter-size PDF with signature lines. The email writes itself next to it.

Make a change request